The thing is Singer and co. are in charge of the story. If something doesn't work it's because they wrote it that way. They seem to have gotten around Xavier exploding in X3 because they need Xavier for the story they want to tell.

I can understand not having Jean or Cyclops back because they 'died'. Storm should be alive and well like Rogue, Iceman, and Kitty. If the character is left out it's because A) They didn't want her in or B) Another Nightcrawler situation where his role became so small that it wasn't worth having him in X3.

It's funny you should say that Angamb. Storm is the leader of the X-Men and that alone should warrant a story in itself. In the comics storm was struggling with the pressure of being a leader, they could easily incorporate that into the story along with her crazy powerful action scenes. If Storm isn't in this its because Singer didn't want her in this not because she didn't fit the story.

I wonder who will be the leader of the X-Men now Cyclops is dead and Storm isn't in this. I hope they don't go with Wolverine, although he's been front and center in every movie they have never outright made him the leader (though they were bordering on that in X3) Logan doesn't work as a leader.

Maybe they'll do an AoA and make Magneto the leader.

*groan* I so want storm to be in this. It's been two whole films for crying out loud!

__________________X-MENAlone, You Are Mighty
Together, You Are LEGENDS!- PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER

What I meant was: they're not aiming to get every single original cast member back just because they can.

Singer is using the "it may not be right for the story" excuse...which for the film story they're planning, may even be...[gasp] right!

Well, that may be true but I think it would be a grave mistake not to have Halle Berry/Storm in the mix for this upcoming film. Like...huge mistake. Not only did Storm have a big role in the source material for this particular storyline, but the X-Men will need some serious "big guns" to take down Sentinels. Of the core four (Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops and Jean) we only have one big name and he's not gonna be nearly enough in battle with those bots. The long range destruction Storm can create will make for thrilling visual effects even if they keep her restricted to a cameo. But even still, I would think the story calls for it...unless, as BMM put it, they continue to s*** all over the 616 material which they've shown great willingness to do. LOL

They also NEED Cyclops (and Jean but that's all f***ed up now) for similar reasons. One of the reasons First Class failed in sales is because the storyline was lacking the franchise's biggest character names. I know a ton of X-Men Fans (including myself and a large number of personal friends) only went to see the film once in theatres out of loyalty. After that it was like, "It was good, but...no Jean/Scott/Storm, etc."

They can't do that again with this film and the fact they've secured Shawn, Anna, etc. shows they got the point.

Well, that may be true but I think it would be a grave mistake not to have Halle Berry/Storm in the mix for this upcoming film. Like...huge mistake. Not only did Storm have a big role in the source material for this particular storyline, but the X-Men will need some serious "big guns" to take down Sentinels. Of the core four (Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops and Jean) we only have one big name and he's not gonna be nearly enough in battle with those bots.

They NEED Storm AND Cyclops (and Jean but that's all f***ed up now).

I think they'll save Scott/Jean for the post-DoFP altered timeline that gets created.

I can understand not having Jean or Cyclops back because they 'died'. Storm should be alive and well like Rogue, Iceman, and Kitty. If the character is left out it's because A) They didn't want her in or B) Another Nightcrawler situation where his role became so small that it wasn't worth having him in X3.

Or

C.) They want Wolverine to be the leader of the X-Men (and keep the Boys Club Trinity intact--with Xavier, Magneto and Logan as Bryan's favorite muses). At which point I would certainly gag on my Junior Mints and contemplate walking out the theater in disgust.

Well, that may be true but I think it would be a grave mistake not to have Halle Berry/Storm in the mix for this upcoming film. Like...huge mistake. Not only did Storm have a big role in the source material for this particular storyline, but the X-Men will need some serious "big guns" to take down Sentinels. Of the core four (Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops and Jean) we only have one big name and he's not gonna be nearly enough in battle with those bots. The long range destruction Storm can create will make for thrilling visual effects even if they keep her restricted to a cameo. But even still, I would think the story calls for it...unless, as BMM put it, they continue to s*** all over the 616 material which they've shown great willingness to do. LOL

They also NEED Cyclops (and Jean but that's all f***ed up now) for similar reasons. One of the reasons First Class failed in sales is because the storyline was lacking the franchise's biggest character names. I know a ton of X-Men Fans (including myself and a large number of personal friends) only went to see the film once in theatres out of loyalty. After that it was like, "It was good, but...no Jean/Scott/Storm, etc."

They can't do that again with this film and the fact they've secured Shawn, Anna, etc. shows they got the point.

You know I've thought about this and thought about this and there really is NO real reason why they would leave Halle Berry/Storm out. She should be back for all the reasons you have said and I have said and everyone else on this site has said but no real reason why she shouldn't come back.

I think Singer has given Storm's role to Rogue for this movie which pisses me off to no end. Why add a a character that did not appear in the source material only to give her the role that belongs to a different character that could easily be used for this movie. After Wolverine, Storm is the next OT character that makes the most sense to be used. What makes matters worse is for Bryan to say that Storm doesn't fit for the story, I've never heard such an ignorant statement. The ultimate slap in the face for all Storm fans.

__________________X-MENAlone, You Are Mighty
Together, You Are LEGENDS!- PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER

C.) They want Wolverine to be the leader of the X-Men (and keep the Boys Club Trinity intact--with Xavier, Magneto and Logan as Bryan's favorite muses). At which point I would certainly gag on my Junior Mints and contemplate walking out the theater in disgust.

After demanding your money back!!!

__________________X-MENAlone, You Are Mighty
Together, You Are LEGENDS!- PROFESSOR CHARLES XAVIER

I think Singer has given Storm's role to Rogue for this movie which pisses me off to no end. Why add a a character that did not appear in the source material only to give her the role that belongs to a different character that could easily be used for this movie. After Wolverine, Storm is the next OT character that makes the most sense to be used. What makes matters worse is for Bryan to say that Storm doesn't fit for the story, I've never heard such an ignorant statement. The ultimate slap in the face for all Storm fans.

Agreed. Storm has one of the largest (and most rabid! LOL) fanbases in the X-Men comic reading community. I truly believe FCs sales were lower because the character wasn't playing a major in it (along with other factors, i.e. the aforementioned missing Scott and Jean who should have been founding members of the X-Men in FC). But...

To the studio's credit though I think they understand her value. That's why she's had an appearance in every X-Men spin off (as a toddler in Wolverine, and in the Cerebro sequence in FC). She brings a great deal of diversity not to mention seriously glorious money shots.

She's supposed to be in the storyline, period. I have a hard time believing Halle Berry woul turn down a role she's dedicated a decade of her career to building and promoting. This franchise is her biggest and most successful. If she isn't in in Days it'll be because Bryan axed her.

Imagine if they follow the last animated series/the comic and use Xavier instead of Kitty? Have him "send his mind" back to his 70's self. That could also give Charles and Erik in the past a reason to rebuild cerebro. Charles keeps getting flashes of things (from the future) and needs cerebro to amplify it.

But anyway, after everything gets resolved, present Xavier's mind returns to his future self, and when he wakes up Scott, Jean and Storm can be by his bedside. Roll credits.

Imagine if they follow the last animated series/the comic and use Xavier instead of Kitty? Have him "send his mind" back to his 70's self. That could also give Charles and Erik in the past a reason to rebuild cerebro. Charles keeps getting flashes of things (from the future) and needs cerebro to amplify it.

But anyway, after everything gets resolved, present Xavier's mind returns to his future self, and when he wakes up Scott, Jean and Storm can be by his bedside. Roll credits.

Aye, but isn't Ellen Page already confirmed for this film? Wouldn't she be the traveler?

In the comics it made sense for older Kitty to be transport back into the mind of younger Kitty. But in First Class era younger Kitty doesn't exist. If she is the time traveller in DoFP it will be via other means.

And for no other reason but to give more screentime to Wolverine. As if that overexposed character needed any more screentime.

Sometimes I wish Matthew Vaughn was still directing this. His X3 had Storm in a prominent position and was much better written

I dunno if it'd be soley to give Wolverine more screen time.

Honestly? I just think Bryan Singer has a serious fondness for Wolverine, Xavier and Magneto. They are his favorites and they've been given the most generous character development, back stories and care in this franchise. Each and every X-Men film has revolved 100% around them and their relationships with eachother.

Adding Storm may complicate things for him as a director--especially if she's to maintain the same leadership role X3 gave her. I doubt Bryan is interested in preserving that.

If the dystopian future is after X3, it can't have Jean, Scott (and possibly not Xavier). But if that timeline is then erased or altered by the time traveller(s) stopping the trigger event, then we can have Famke/Jean and James/Scott back again at the end of the movie.

The baffling thing at the moment is that Patrick Stewart's Xavier is in DoFP. This probably means one of these options:

a) The DoFP future is after X3 and they are using Ratner's post-credits scene showing the mind-switch into a braindead twin

b) The DoFP future is after X3 and they have found some other explanation for how Xavier is still alive when we saw him explode. Or maybe he is physically dead and just exists on the astral plane, who knows!?

c) The DoFP future is an alternate future where Xavier didn't die (and so maybe Jean and Scott didn't die either!). This future may be erased or altered by the time travel, with some people suggesting the altered timeline turns into what we saw in the original trilogy.

It's all a bit brain-frying, but those seem to be the options.

It's difficult to tell until we hear if Halle, Famke or James have been cast.

__________________Show me an X-Men comic where Mystique is the leader and walks round all day as a bored blonde

Honestly? I just think Bryan Singer has a serious fondness for Wolverine, Xavier and Magneto. They are his favorites and they've been given the most generous character development, back stories and care in this franchise. Each and every X-Men film has revolved 100% around them and their relationships with eachother.

Well, Singer has always stated (and continues to state) that his favorites are Beast and Xavier. Considering he cast Hoult in First Class, and cast him again Jack, I'd expect a plump role for Beast this go 'round.

b) The DoFP future is after X3 and they have found some other explanation for how Xavier is still alive when we saw him explode. Or maybe he is physically dead and just exists on the astral plane, who knows!?

This.

And I'm willing to bet that Scott is in that same place. Again, we never saw him *die*, just his face ripple (which makes me laugh as I type that for some reason). This film could open up with him being restored.

If it's true that Famke has a role in this upcoming Wolverine film her appearance may open up a doorway to answers on this, especially since Days is coming out shortly after that.

Besides, it's been confirmed by a large number of on-line resources, including The Hollywood Reporter, that James Marsden was a focus of the studio at least as late as last December. So who knows? We didn't *see* him die in X3, unlike Charles Xavier.

Ok, Source? The Hollywood Reporter had one report where they listed James Marsden and Halle Berry as examples of original castmates who had NOT yet been cast in the movie (it didn't even say they were rumoured). Then a bunch of sites spun that report into something that it wasn't. Are you talking about something else?

To me it would make sense to bring Marsden back. His profile has been raised considerably since The Last Stand (Enchanted, Hairspray, Hop and just more roles in general). He's not an A-lister but he has that clean cut superhero image. I would love to see him and Famke cameo in an averted-disaster coda at the end of the film.